Organic Friends' E-Zine
Highlighting up-dates to the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) website
en français	August 2012	Subscribe a friend!

Brookside Certified Organic Research field, Greenhouse Gas and Water Quality Monitoring Site
Photo of the Month, by Derek Lynch
Direct and indirect losses of N as soil emissions and in drainage water are being evaluated in a 4-year spring wheat rotation in Truro, Nova Scotia as part of the Canadian Organic Science Cluster Initiative. Together researchers from NSAC and AAFC in Quebec are determining how the season and timing of red clover incorporation affects overall nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and overall global warming potential (GWP), with a particular focus on over-winter N₂O and NO₃^- dynamics following organic amendments.

In this issue:

Editor's Note: Organic practitioners may find the information presented in the Newspaper Articles and Extension Information sections to be the most easily accessible and applicable.

A Note from OACC's Director
Organic Science Cluster II
Newspaper Articles
Extension Information
Research Articles
Courses
Student and Job Opportunities
Consumers
Events

Invitation to Collaborate in the Future of Organic Agricultural and Food Science.

As an organic sector stakeholder, you are invited to consider participating in Organic Science Cluster II, set to launch in April 2013. In this program, researchers and industry partners are invited to identify and participate in priority research projects for organic agriculture.

To be a part of the science that leads organic agriculture into a prosperous and sustainable future, please see the Organic Science Cluster II website at www.oacc.info/osc2 to submit a Letter of Intent (for researchers) or Expression of Interest (for industry partners) by September 30, 2012.

OACC Director's Note

At this time, the OACC is in the midst of very important planning for Organic Science Cluster II. This 5-year organic research program for Canada is being prepared in anticipation of AAFC's next agricultural policy framework beginning in April 2013. Here at the OACC we are working hard to try and bring together the priorities, funding and expertise to enable research that will have impact on Canadian organic agriculture. We have asked stakeholders to identify their research priorities, potential partners to send us an expression of their interest in supporting research, and researchers to indicate their intent to submit proposals of relevance to Canadian organic agriculture. We encourage your participation in this process!

August is peak harvest time for many organic producers across Canada. We hope the weather is favorable, the harvest is bountiful, the markets are encouraging, and your harvest time is safe and fulfilling

Sincerely,
Andy Hammermeister
Director, OACC
ahammermeister@nsac.ca

Research needs and strategic priorities identified at the Canadian Organic Science Conference.

Newspaper Articles

Extension

About Organic

Directory of Organic Inputs (ACORN) (PDF, 7MB): A comprehensive information about all approved amendments for certified organic agriculture.

Soils and Fertility

Soil Management for Better Fertility on Organic Livestock Farms (eXtension)

Horticulture

An Ecological Understanding of Weeds (eXtension)
High Tunnel Resources from the Organic Community of Practice of eXtension
Peaches: Organic and Low-Spray Production (ATTRA)
2012 Production Guide for Storage of Organic Fruits and Vegetables (New York State Integrated Pest Management Program) (PDF, 1.5MB)
Soilborne Disease Management in Organic Vegetable Production (eXtension)
Weed Identification Tools and Techniques (eXtension)

Field Crops

Research Articles

Congratulations to Dr. Derek Lynch, whose manuscript "Environmental impacts of organic agriculture: A Canadian perspective" won the recently awarded 2009 Best Canadian Society for Horticultural Science Paper Award, selected from publications in the 2009 volume of the Canadian Journal of Plant Science.

Click here for more information and to view the research abstract.

Soils and Fertility

Horticulture